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Baltimore Orioles: Is Andrew Cashner A Possible Target Of The Boston Red Sox?

By Nick Stevens

BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 29: Andrew Cashner #54 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the second inning during a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 29, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JUNE 29: Andrew Cashner #54 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches in the second inning during a baseball game against the Cleveland Indians at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on June 29, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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The Boston Red Sox are in the market for a starting pitcher. Will they target Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Andrew Cashner?

Over the weekend, we discussed the latest trade rumors involving Baltimore Orioles outfielder Trey Mancini and whether or not it made sense to trade the new face of the franchise. While fans of the Orioles are split when it comes to where they stand on Mancini, it’s become much more clear that starting pitcher Andrew Cashner will be on his way out, a move the Orioles should capitalize on.

Cashner doesn’t have the years of control that Mancini does, he will turn 33 in September, and over the course of his first nine seasons in the league, he’s been worth more than 2.0 fWAR just twice. However, he’s on pace for a career season and has been one of the hottest pitchers in baseball since June 1. Are the Boston Red Sox interested?

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic-

For a team looking to add cheap pitching help, Cashner is one of the more attractive options on the market. He won’t cost another team much in terms of prospects and he doesn’t have a massive contract attached to him (making less than $10 million in the final year of his contract, owed less than $4 for the rest of 2019). Should the Red Sox pursue the veteran righty, they will also be adding someone familiar with AL East lineups and ballparks.

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Cashner is a combined 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA against the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays this season and he’s 4-0 with 3.47 ERA and 1.24 WHIP at Camden Yards. He’s struggled against the New York Yankees, but to be fair, so have most pitchers across baseball.

Overall since June 1, Cashner has made five starts and owns a 3-1 record with a 1.41 ERA, 18 strikeouts, four walks, and zero home runs allowed. In each of those five starts, he has gone at least six full innings, going seven in his last two starts before the All-Star break. On the year, Cashner is averaging 5.7 IP/GS, a number he has passed just once since 2015.

Cashner’s value is as high as it’s going to get right now, which still isn’t very high. There are injury concerns with Madison Bumgarner, the asking price for Matt Boyd is significant, and a bidding war is likely to drive up the price for Marcus Stroman. If Boston is looking to move quick, a deal for Cashner could be an under-the-radar, cheap, and valuable move as the Red Sox look to shore up their pitching staff and make a run at claiming back-to-back World Series titles.

After it seemed as if Mike Elias was taking Dylan Bundy and Cashner off the table, seeing as the departure of both arms would leave the Orioles with serious questions as to who will start ball games over the last two-plus months of the season, it now appears Elias is open to moving Cashner and has been actively checking in on the market for his right-hander (per MASN’s Roch Kubatko).

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The Orioles aren’t likely to be extremely active at this year’s deadline, but names like Cashner, Mychal Givens, and maybe Jonathan Villar could find new homes before August 1st. One thing is for sure, I’m anxious to see how creative Mike Elias can get with what few, and not very valuable, trade chips he has.

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